


A Joint Effort

by you_guys_are_losers



Series: Silken (A Collection of Spideychelle Headcanons) [2]
Category: Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: Avengers - Freeform, Avengers Compound, F/M, Secret Relationship, secret relationship au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-21
Updated: 2019-06-21
Packaged: 2020-05-15 19:20:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19302160
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/you_guys_are_losers/pseuds/you_guys_are_losers
Summary: When Sam, Clint, and Bucky find Peter texting a mysterious significant other, they join forces with the other Avengers to find out who it is.





	A Joint Effort

  * Several months following the Final Battle, the compound is rebuilt 
  * Slowly, but surely, the remaining Avengers begin to take up residence in the rooms again
  * Maybe it’s a bit strange to return to the place where so much was lost, but there’s something poetic about taking up residence with the others who won and lost so much that day 
  * ~~And almost anything is better than returning to empty apartments where the quiet is much too loud~~
  * Among others, Bucky returns to stay at the compound, as well as Sam, Wanda, and Bruce
  * Some of the others keep rooms in the compound and visit regularly, despite the fact that they have other lodgings because it’s important to remain in contact and the community can be nice
  * One of the members of this category is Peter Parker
  * At first, no one is quite sure what to make of the lanky teen hanging around the compound
  * Half the time the kid is making obscure references that no one understands
  * And the other half he is taking shortcuts across the compound by walking on the walls with his school supplies sticking to him as he looks for somewhere comfortable to study for his exams 
  * But the rest of the Avengers have an unspoken agreement to give the kid the same treatment as the rest of them
  * After all, he is an Avenger 
  * ~~And they all remember the look on his face when he had to let go of his mentor’s nearly lifeless body~~
  * So they all get used to Peter Parker’s frequent visits and the enthusiasm with which he approaches the chance to respond to any little disturbance
  * And soon, Peter is just as much a part of the compound as the excessive number of glass panes
  * However, there is one unintended side effect to the Avengers becoming accustomed to Peter’s presence
  * Because now that they are more comfortable with Peter 
  * They are more at ease with screwing with him 
  * It starts one morning in the kitchen while Clint is visiting the compound
  * It’s 12 ‘o clock on a Saturday, and Peter is eating lunch at the kitchen counter when Sam, Bucky, and Clint barge in for breakfast
  * ~~Really Bucky just starts on breakfast for the other two, since it was a late night and he can hold his liquor a lot better than the other two~~
  * Clint and Sam are seated at bar stools by the island while Peter leans against the countertop, spooning Cocoa Puffs into his mouth with one hand while he scrolls through his phone with the other
  * It is while he is doing this that Sam catches a glimpse of Peter’s phone screen
  * “Who are you texting, kid?” 
  * Peter glances up from his phone, nearly dropping his spoon into his cereal when he finds all three of the mildly-hungover Avengers staring at him with interest
  * “Oh, um, nobody, I just-” 
  * “Nobody, really?” Clint presses, a little grin sliding onto his face
  * “A red heart and a spider emoji? That doesn’t look like nobody,” Sam replies, leaning over to glance at Peter’s phone again
  * Peter quickly powers his phone down, swallowing as he scoops up his bowl of chocolatey milk, saying, “I’m just gonna, um…” 
  * And then Peter’s gone, leaving an empty spot at the kitchen island and three Avengers who are determined to figure out who Peter Parker is seeing
  * They bring it up again later that night, when the kid has headed back home to Queens, and it is in the compound’s kitchen that they decide they are going to have to join forces
  * Wanda, who shares a wall with Peter, agrees to join in in order to figure out who Peter is talking to at three in the morning  _every night_
  * And T’challa, who is passing through on a diplomatic mission, joins in because when he brings it up to Shuri over text, she gets way too smug about it and refuses to explain 
  * Bruce is initially opposed to the idea, because “The kid needs his privacy,” but he caves when they suggest that maybe  _this_ is the reason the Wi-Fi has been so slow lately
  * So, once they’ve got their team together, the game begins
  * Bruce makes the mistake of contacting Ned, relying on their joint star power as a sufficient motive for Peter’s best friend to spill the beans
  * And it’s true, Ned does freak out, communicating largely through keyboardsmashes for a good stretch 
  * But he also immediately contacts Peter, relaying Bruce’s question: “Do you know who Peter’s been texting lately? We know it’s not you, but we can’t figure out who.” 
  * And as soon as Peter knows, he suits up for battle
  * His phone is  _never_ out anymore, not even when he’s lounging around the compound
  * It’s always shoved down in his pocket, safely adhered there by a little bit of webbing
  * ~~It’s not like Sam discovered this when he attempted to snatch the phone from his pocket and nearly pantsed the kid~~
  * ~~Because that would be ridiculous conduct for a United States Air Force Vet~~
  * The kid doesn’t even open it in front of them anymore, and he answers any questions they ask him with one word before vanishing into his room in the compound again
  * After a week or so of this, the Avengers decide that it’s time to change their strategy
  * Thanks to Wanda, they know that Peter has been spending his nights staying up into ungodly hours of the morning
  * So now, it’s just a matter of catching Peter at the right moment
  * Though Clint and T’challa have other homes to return to, Wanda, Sam, and Bruce are able to split up the duty of finding increasingly more desperate reasons to enter Peter’s room 
  * The first few times, they find Peter hurriedly making himself appear busy, either by faking sleep with a glowing square under his blanket or by grabbing the nearest item to him 
  * Once or twice, when they enter the room they find Peter hurriedly trying to look invested in an upside-down textbook
  * The effort goes on for a week and a half or so
  * It comes to a screeching halt, however, after a failed attempt
  * Sam and Bruce hear Peter making noise and can see light coming under the door, but when they open it, what they really find is Peter crying while watching  _Moulin Rouge_
  * Never wanting to witness such a sight again, it is decided that it will be necessary to attempt yet another change in strategy
  * This time, the Avengers defer to Bruce
  * His argument is that he, as one of the kid’s scientific idols, is probably best-equipped to get it out of him using a softer approach
  * So, with their end goal in mind, the others wait in the living room as Bruce enters the kitchen, where the kid is getting another cup of juice
  * Is a softer strategy necessary? Maybe. Is there such thing as too soft? Definitely 
  * Because, instead of getting the identity of “Red Heart Spider Emoji,” Bruce somehow manages to initiate a conversation about Peter’s growing body and the different needs he might be experiencing at this time
  * As amusing as the stammering of the mortified kid might be in any other situation, the listening Clint, T’Challa, Wanda, and Sam are all painfully aware of the failure of this attempt to get a name out of Peter
  * And when the kid leaves the room clearly wishing the ground would swallow them up, everyone seems to be in agreement that maybe, sometimes, not every mission has to be a success 
  * So, after the final attempt, the Avengers put the matter to rest 
  * Little do they know, however, how close their attempts are to coming to fruition 
  * Not even three weeks later, a new mission has come in for the heroes, and they are ready to take off
  * The Avengers will be heading to Wakanda in order to examine and neutralize a perceived threat to the production of Wakandan vibranium, which not only would cause economic panic but also could potentially provide dangerous technology to enemies over the interplanetary black market
  * The mission is going to be long, and depending on how innovative their enemies are with the new material, it could likely be dangerous
  * Luckily it’s during the summer, so the kid at least won’t be missing out on class, but Peter’s skill set has proven integral to the team before, so he’s coming with 
  * It’s early afternoon, and they’re about ready to load out. There’s a Wakandan helicopter at the compound that is ready to take them, and the team begins the walk across the pad to the chopper, the whirring blades of which create a deafening noise across the green
  * She arrives so quickly that at first, they don’t see her 
  * However, as they approach their transportation, Bruce holds out a hand where he is leading them from the front of the group, gesturing to a figure that is hurtling towards them across the lawn 
  * The team takes up a defensive stance out of habit, but it is almost immediately proven to be unnecessary 
  * Because, as it gets closer, the blur moving towards them across the compound reveals itself to be a girl, tall and skinny as she jogs across the grass in her combat boots
  * The winds created by the chopper send her dark, curly hair flying wildly around her face as she approaches, teasing it into a mess that only further increases her hurried, disheveled appearance
  * Though they relax, the Avengers do not completely abandon their defensive positions
  * Except for Peter
  * The youngest Avenger straightens to his full height with a widening of his mechanical eyes, hands instinctively moving to straighten the Iron Spider Suit that is practically plastered to his body 
  * Once he realized the folly of his attempt, Peter steps forward, pulling the mask off of his face as he does so 
  * The rest of the Avengers exchange wary glances, at least until the girl draws to a stop in front of them 
  * Now, they can get a good look at her, and things begin to make a bit more sense
  * The rest of the Avengers watch as the girl runs a hand through her wild curls, brushing them away from her face
  * Though she stands tall and her face is composed, the slight widening of her eyes and the breathless nature of her appearance makes her look even more nervous than any of them 
  * “MJ?” Peter blurts, his own eyes wide and confused
  * He scans her appearance with obvious concern, but his eyes come to rest on her own deep brown irises as he poses the question in all of their minds
  * “Why are you here?” 
  * MJ doesn’t appear to be the least bit fazed by the question, but she is still tense as she answers
  * “You didn’t say goodbye, asshole,” she pants, clearly winded from her run 
  * Her eyes travel to the other Avengers for a moment, and she offers them a tight nod before looking back at Peter, not even a little put-off by the massive, hulking heroes who are all eyeing her
  * “Oh,” Peter replies, dumbstruck, not looking away from her
  * For a moment, the tension continues, and no one says a word
  * The newcomer, however, appears more nervous than ever, and her following actions betray why 
  * “You know what, Parker? Screw it,” she decides, striding even closer to Peter
  * She approaches with all the bravado of a soldier, walking with purpose until their chests are practically touching and Peter steels himself for a blow
  * Sam and Bucky watch with interest, not daring to blink in case they miss the moment she decks him
  * The punch doesn’t come, however
  * Because instead, MJ reaches down, takes his jaw in her hands, closes her eyes, and brings her lips crashing into Peter’s own
  * The boy’s eyes widen as she does so, but they almost immediately flutter shut the way hers have
  * After an initial stiffening, Peter relaxes into the kiss, and the rest of the Avengers stare on in utter shock as the two share a moment, hair and clothing blowing in the wind created by the chopper blades
  * When MJ finally lets go, her eyes open immediately
  * They are wide, but they shine as they look down at the boy whose cheeks are cupped in her hands, one of which rises to brush his cheekbone before she lets him go 
  * And then, as Peter stares at her, she speaks a simple command: 
  * “Come back to me.” 
  * Before he can say another word, MJ has turned around, and she returns the way she came with a renewed energy in her gait
  * For a few moments, the team watches her walk away, hopping the fence so that she is a safe distance from the helicopter
  * No one says anything as Peter turns to watch her leave, then turns back with a broad grin on his face before he pulls the mask over it
  * Sam is the one who breaks the silence: 
  * “So  _that’s_ Ms. Red Heart, Spider Girl.” 
  * Even through the mask, the mechanical eyes seem to glow as Peter says, “Maybe she is.” 
  * Without another word, Peter turns to climb onto the chopper, but Sam shouts, “Hey!” to stop him 
  * One the kid has turned around, he is greeted with varying degrees of pleasure on the faces that stare back at him 
  * Wanda is trying and failing to hide a little smirk, Bruce is beaming, Clint offers the kid a lopsided grin, and Bucky spares one nod with gleaming eyes 
  * It’s Sam, though, who really smiles
  * “Don’t mess it up with that one, kid. We like her.” 




End file.
